The Polestar 1 Gets an EPA Rated 52 Miles of Electric Range
【Summary】When the Polestar 1 made its debut in 2017, the plug-in hybrid claimed to have an all-electric range of 93 miles. Now, the EPA has given the vehicle an official electric range of just 52 miles.

Volvo Car Group's performance brand, Polestar, shocked the industry when it came out with the Polestar 1 in 2017. The high-performance plug-in hybrid set the bar for what we could expect from the automaker and future electric cars from Volvo. With specifications like 600 horsepower, 738 pound-feet of torque, and a claimed range of 93 miles on electricity, the two-door grand tourer looked promising. Unfortunately, one major blow to the Polestar 1 just came from the EPA.
Electric Range Is Lackluster
When Polestar debuted the 1, the company touted an electric range of 93 miles. That was one of the highest figures for a plug-in hybrid on the market. The EPA managed to get its hands on a Polestar 1 for testing and gave the vehicle an estimated electric range of just 52 miles. Obviously, that's disappointing, especially with a vehicle that promised so much and wears a starting price tag of over $155,000.
With just 52 miles of all-electric range, that puts the Polestar 1 behind more affordable options like the BMW 530e and Mercedes-Benz S560e. The former has an electric range of 69 miles, while the latter can travel up to 64 miles on electricity alone. We should also point out that those two vehicles are also much more affordable than the Polestar 1. Clearly, the stunning two-door plug-in hybrid is far from having the most electric range on the market. Even models like the discontinued Chevrolet Volt could travel further on electricity with an electric range of 53 miles.
Furthermore, the Polestar 1's fuel economy isn't stellar. On electricity and gasoline, the Polestar 1 is rated by the EPA to get up to 58 MPGe, which is less than the 530e (69 MPGe) and S560e (64 MPGe). So, that figure isn't exactly class-leading either.
The Appeal's Still There
Where the Polestar 1 manages to be in the middle of those two competitors is when it comes to total range. With a total range of 470 miles, the Polestar 1 sits in the middle of the 530e (350 miles) and S560e (510 miles).
One good thing about the Polestar 1 is that its range and massive battery pack that measures in at 34 kWh means the vehicle will be eligible for the maximum $7,500 federal tax credit. If you're shopping for a $155,000 vehicle, though, we don't expect you'll need any help affording the car.
We don't see the Polestar 1's small electric range of 52 miles will hurt the car's appeal. The Polestar 1 is all about setting the standard for the automaker's future vehicles, which will all be electric. With only 1,500 units available, high-tech features, and a stunning design, the Polestar 1 is more of a halo car that sets the tone. With official numbers from the EPA, we're even more interested in seeing how the Polestar 2 stacks up against the competition like the Tesla Model 3.
-
Kia Gains a New Logo, Teases Upcoming Electric Vehicles
-
NHTSA Issues New Rules for Autonomous Cars to Skip Some Safety Standards
-
General Motors Launches New Startup 'BrightDrop' for Electric Delivery Vehicles
-
IIHS Finds Front AEB Saves Lives, Rear AEB Reduces Fender Benders
-
Report: Apple’s Autonomous Electric Car at Least Five Years Away
-
Hyundai Claims It's Talking With Apple About EV Project
-
Massachusetts Announces Ban on New Gas-Powered Cars
-
Tesla Delivers Nearly 500,000 Vehicles in 2020, Breaks Record
- General Motors Plans to Further Boost its Multi-Billion Dollar Investment in EVs, Sources Say
- GM’s Autonomous Driving Division Cruise Deploys its Self-driving Vehicles in San Francisco Without Human Backup
- Volkswagen’s Electric ID.4 Models Launch in China, Giving Tesla New Competition in the World’s Biggest Auto Market
- General Motors to Expand Truck Production to Help Fund the Development of New Electric Vehicles
- The U.S. EPA Officially Certifies Ford’s Fully-Electric Mach-E Range of 300 Miles
- New Jersey Could Join California in Banning New Gas-Powered Car Sales
- AI-Powered Chip Developer Horizon Robotics Raises $400 Million in Latest Funding Round
- Electric Vehicles Made Up 54% of All New Car Sales in Norway in 2020
- Autonomous Driving Developer AutoX Expanding its Robotaxi Testing to 4 New Cities in China
- Nissan Joins General Motors in Backing California’s Stricter Emission Rules for Motor Vehicles